Isaiah Chapter 58 (Expounded)

Isaiah Chapter 58

1) Cry out with an open throat and mouth. Do not hold back. Raise the sound of your voice like a shofar, Isaiah. Show my people their transgression 6588 pesha` {peh'-shah} - their rebellion against me...; and show the house... 1004 bayith {bah'-yith} - the household... the family... of Yacob their sins... 2403 chatta'ah {khat-taw-aw}, or, chatta'ath {khat-tawth'} - their sin offering that they offer to me to atone for their unrighteous condition...

2) They seek... 1875 darash {daw-rash'} - they seek with care... they demand understanding... they require knowledge... they investigate and study... daily; and delight... 2654 chaphets {khaw-fates'} - they take pleasure in... they are pleased to do... my ways...1870 derek {deh'-rek} - my manner of life... my pathway through the process of living life while making proper and diligent use of time and resources along the way... like a nation... 1471 gowy {go'-ee} - like a people... like a body of people... as if they were a body of people... that did... 6213 `asah {aw-saw'} - that produced... that acted with the effect of... that brought about... that accomplished... righteousness... 6666 tsedeqah {tsed-aw-kaw'} - the attributes of righteousness - justness, truthfulness, moral rightness, ethical rightness... attributes that are unable to be found fault with by any opposition...; and, as if they were a people that did not forsake... 5800 `azab {aw-zab'} - leave behind... abandon... depart from... free themselves from... the ordinance... 4941 mishpat {mish-pawt'} - the authoritative rule or law... of their Elohim... 0430 `elohiym {el-o-heem} - their ruler... their judge... their ultimate authority on the right and wrong of anything under consideration... They ask... 7592 sha`el {shaw-ale'} - they ask for... they seek to learn by asking for... they seek to understand, comprehend by inquiring about... the ordinances... 4941 mishpat {mish-pawt'} - the the authoritative rules or laws of justice... 6664 tsedeq {tseh'-dek} - of what is right in any matter under consideration... They take delight in... 2654 chaphets {khaw-fates'} - they take pleasure in... they desire... approaching... 7132 qerabah {ker-aw-baw} - drawing near to... Elohim... 0430 `elohiym {el-o-heem} - their ruler... their judge... their ultimate authority on the right and wrong of anything under consideration...

3) They have said to me: Why have we fasted... 6684 tsuwm {tsoom} - why have we have abstained from food... according to what you have said to do... Why have we afflicted... 6031 anah {aw-naw'} - vexed... tormented...distressed... our soul... 5315 nephesh {neh'-fesh} - our selves... our lives... why have we wilfully forced oppression on our selves in abstaining from the enjoyment of progressing through life in a normal manner as you have commanded... and you do not acknowledge our actions as obedience? Look! says Yahweh; and perceive the truth of the fact that on the day of your fast you find... 4672 matsa' {maw-tsaw'} - you make the effort to arrive at a condition of... pleasure... 2656 chephets {khay'-fets} - whatever you take delight in...; and you exact... 5065 nagas {naw-gas'} - you press... you drive... you exert demanding pressure as a taskmaster... on all of your laborers... 6092 atsab {aw-tsabe'} - laborers... toilers... labors... on all of those who are under your authority engaged in productive activity of any kind for the purpose of economic gain...

4) Look! Says Yahweh, at the truth of the fact that you fast for the purpose of enhancing and upholding strife... 7379 riyb {reeb} - controversy... disputes or quarrels... and debates... 4683 matshah {mats-tsaw'} - contention... arguments... amongst yourselves; and so that you can strike one another with the fist of wickedness... 7562 resha` {reh'-shah} - wrong... guilt... wickedness such as is found in the violent, abusive, devious and harmful behavior found in ethical relationships... You will not fast... you will not abstain from food... as is your custom of this day to make... to cause... your voice... 6963 qowl {kole} - your sound... your noise... your proclamation of obedience and faithfulness... to be heard on high... in the highest of places... where Yahweh dwells...

5) Is this the type of fasting that I have chosen? A day that has been set aside for a man to afflict his soul? A day for a man to bow down his head like a bulrush... 0100 'agmown {ag-mone'} - to appear sad and drooping like the tall grasslike plants that grow in marshy areas...; and to spread out... 3331 yatsa {yaw-tsah'} - make a bed of... to lay in... sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast and a day that is acceptable... 7522 ratson {raw-tsone'} - pleasing... favorable... delightful... to Yahweh?

6) Isn't the fast... 6685 tsowm {tsome} - the type of fasting... that I have chosen... 0977 bachar {baw-khar'} - that I choose... to loose... 6605 pathach {paw-thakh'} - to set free... to loosen... to open... the bands... 2784 chartsubbah {khar-tsoob-baw'} - the bonds... the chains and shackles... the constraints... of wickedness... 7562 resha` {reh'-shah} - the wrong... the guilt... the violent, abusive, devious and harmful behavior found in ethical relationships...; and to undo the heavy burdens that have come about as a result of such wickedness; and to let the oppressed go free; and that you break every yoke of this kind of oppression in the process so that it cannot be used for these purposes anymore?

7) Isn't the type of fasting that I have chosen to deal... 6536 parac {paw-ras'} - to divide... to break up... your food and give it to the hungry in your society; and that you bring the poor, that have been thrown out of your society, to your own house? Isn't the fasting that I have chosen to cover those who are naked when you see them; and that you do not hide yourselves from your own flesh... 1320 basar {baw-sawr'} - from mankind... in an effort to save yourselves from having to bow down to this type of behavior?

8) It is then that your light will break forth like the morning; and your health will spring forth... 6779 tsamach {tsaw-makh'} - will sprout... will spring up... will grow up... speedily... 4120 meherah {meh-hay-raw'} - hastily...swiftly...; and your righteousness... 6664 tsedeq {tseh'-dek} - your justness... your justification in controversies... your ethical rightness... your status that is not able to be accused of any wrong or looked at with suspicion... will go before you; and the glory... 3519 kabod {kaw-bode'} - the honor... the abundance... the splendor... the reputation... all that pertains to the name... of Yahweh will be your reward.

9) Then you will be able to call... 7121 qara' {kaw-raw'} - cry out... and Yahweh will answer. You will cry out, and He will speak. This will happen if you will take the yoke... 4133 mowtah {mo-taw'} - the yoke of oppression that is forced on others through your methods and behavior of getting gain at their expense... away out from the midst of you; and the putting forth... the stretching out... of the finger... as you tell others what to do and where to go under the authority that you possess which was gained by wickedness in your pursuit of economic gain...; and the speaking... 1696 dabar {daw-bar'} - speaking the promises... of vanity... 0205 'aven {aw-ven'} - trouble... sorrow... affliction...;

10) And when you draw out your soul... 6329 puwq {pook} - cause your soul... your self... your selves... to go out to... the hungry; and satisfy the afflicted... the oppressed... soul... and satisfy those who are oppressed by hunger, or who are needy in some other way due to being truly unable to meet their own needs... it is then that your light will rise in obscurity... 2822 saba' {saw-bah'} - in darkness...; and your darkness will be like the brightness of noonday;

11) And Yahweh will continually guide you and satisfy your soul in drought; and will make your bones fat. You will be like a watered garden. Like a spring of water whose flow of water never fails... 3576 kazab {kaw-zab'} - never disappoints... never lies... never tells a lie... never decieves...

12) You build... 1129 banah {baw-naw'} - you will rebuild... re-establish... the old wasted places... 2723 chorbah {khor-baw'} - the ruins... the desolate places that have been laid waste... You will raise up the foundations of many generations; and you will be called: The Repairer of the Breach, and, the Restorer of Paths to Remain on.

13) This will happen if you will turn your foot away from the sabbath that I have called you to keep... if you will stop kicking against my commandments... while doing what you please on my holy day; and instead, call the sabbath, that I have called you to keep, a delight... call it a day you take pleasure in keeping..., and call it the holy... the set apart day... of Yahweh, and call it honorable; and if you will honor Him by not doing what He has commanded you according to your own ways; nor by finding your own pleasures; nor by speaking and teaching your own words and doctrines.

14) It is then that you will delight yourself in Yahweh; and I will cause you to ride on the high places of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage... 5159 nachalah {nakh-al-aw'} - the inheritance... the possession... the property... of Yacob your forefather. This will happen because the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.